Russell Westbrook was recently asked about coming off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers.

“When I'm in a right position to be able to help my teammates and make them better, it's beneficial for everybody in my opinion,” Westbrook said. “My job is to find ways to keep making the team better, whatever that is…whether its assisting, scoring, rebounding, defending. I'm a person that prides myself on doing everything each and every night.”

Russell Westbrook has dealt with no shortage of criticism over the past year and change for LA. His inefficient shooting and turnover-prone play style has drawn the ire of people around the NBA world. With that being said, it is difficult to question Westbrook's passion and drive for the game. In the end, Russ wants to find ways to win and is going to give the Lakers everything he has.

Russell Westbrook was once considered to be one of the best point guards in the league. But he is clearly willing to swallow his pride and come off the bench if it helps the Lakers.

The Lakers recently won their first game of the 2022-2023 season with Westbrook playing with the second unit. He played an impressive brand of basketball in a 6th man role and won the respect of the fans.

With Anthony Davis and LeBron James leading the starting rotation, Russell Westbrook can serve as an X-Factor in this new role. As long as the Lakers can avoid injuries, they could finally be in position to start winning games on a consistent basis.